Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Can you tell me about this?

This vase, and it's partner, are great examples of blue-and-white porcelain from China. They date to the Kangxi period, which is known for the sapphire-like color of the blue.

I just love the mixture of narrative scenes and decorative patterns. At this time, artisans used schemes like this to make the vessels easier to 'read'. The scenes show the life of the court.

This pot is amazing and it’s hand made. How long would it typically take to make one this size?

Isn't it remarkable?! The potters who worked in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen worked very efficiently. The potting would have taken several days. After firing they had to let the kiln cool off, and then the decorating would have taken a few more days!

A little known fact: the reason so much porcelain is decorated with cobalt blue is because that is one of the few metals that would withstand that high temperatures used to fire porcelain!

Tell me about this.

This little man riding a horse is part of a larger scene from one of a pair of Monumental Vases from Kangxi period china, made for the court to look at and enjoy. Equestrian scenes here and scenes of court women and children on the other vase would have been two popular subjects for members of the Qing Dynasty court.

I love the horses!

The decorations on these vases would have appealed to the royal Kangxi court - especially the horses! This dynasty was founded by Manchu horsemen who valued equestrian pursuits.

By the 18th century, China had discovered its own cobalt blue deposits. In earlier decades, they imported the mineral from modern day Iran. They referred to the color as "Mohammedan blue".

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Can you tell me about this?

This vase, and it's partner, are great examples of blue-and-white porcelain from China. They date to the Kangxi period, which is known for the sapphire-like color of the blue.

I just love the mixture of narrative scenes and decorative patterns. At this time, artisans used schemes like this to make the vessels easier to 'read'. The scenes show the life of the court.

This pot is amazing and it’s hand made. How long would it typically take to make one this size?

Isn't it remarkable?! The potters who worked in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen worked very efficiently. The potting would have taken several days. After firing they had to let the kiln cool off, and then the decorating would have taken a few more days!

A little known fact: the reason so much porcelain is decorated with cobalt blue is because that is one of the few metals that would withstand that high temperatures used to fire porcelain!

Tell me about this.

This little man riding a horse is part of a larger scene from one of a pair of Monumental Vases from Kangxi period china, made for the court to look at and enjoy. Equestrian scenes here and scenes of court women and children on the other vase would have been two popular subjects for members of the Qing Dynasty court.

I love the horses!

The decorations on these vases would have appealed to the royal Kangxi court - especially the horses! This dynasty was founded by Manchu horsemen who valued equestrian pursuits.

By the 18th century, China had discovered its own cobalt blue deposits. In earlier decades, they imported the mineral from modern day Iran. They referred to the color as "Mohammedan blue".